The present invention relates generally to hinge assemblies for hinged or pivotally interconnected members, with the present invention being most particularly well-suited for such hinge assemblies adapted for pivotally interconnecting a vehicle accessory door with a vehicle accessory housing structure or other interior, or even exterior, portions of the vehicle. Vehicle accessory doors for the accessory assemblies mentioned above typically include vanity doors, storage compartment doors, audio equipment cover doors, or other such accessory covers, especially for accessory assemblies that are adapted to be attached to a vehicle interior member, such as an interior panel, a sunvisor, or other vehicle structures. Hinge assemblies according to the present invention can also be employed for various exterior uses, or even non-vehicular uses, as will be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art from the following discussion.
Typically, vehicles include a wide variety of hinged or pivotally mounted vehicle accessories or accessory covers in the interior, luggage storage areas, engine compartment, or other areas. In the past, however, several of such hinge assemblies for such vehicular applications, as well as those for various non-vehicular applications, have lacked sufficient durability, have been relatively expensive to produce and install, or have suffered other functional or aesthetic disabilities. Furthermore, many of such prior hinge assemblies have been found to be unacceptably bulky, unsightly, or ill-fitting, and all of such effects detract from the user's perception of quality with regard to the vehicle or other device in which such hinge assemblies are included.
In addition, many prior hinge assemblies have not provided the user with relatively rotated or pivoted detent positions, in which the hinged members can be releasably held and maintained, especially after extended use and wear of the components of the hinge assembly. Some examples of the prior art, wherein such a feature has been provided, however, include over-center, spring-and-lever arrangements, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,491,899; 4,227,242; and 4,000,404. Another example of the prior art includes an arrangement having a coil spring with its opposite ends interconnected with opposite hinged members in order to bias the two hinge members toward one another. This hinge arrangement does not have a pivot pin or other member pivotally interconnecting the hinged members, and thus the spring functions both as a resilient biasing member for resiliently biasing the hinged members toward one another, as well as acting as a "fastener" for securing the hinged members together. Such arrangements have been found to be disadvantageous in terms of durability, performance, complexity, or expense of manufacture. The need has therefore arisen for a hinge assembly of the general type described herein, which is simple and inexpensive to produce, assemble, and install, that is highly durable, and that is capable of maintaining the hinged members in one or more relatively rotated or pivoted detent orientations, such as in open and closed positions, for example.
An example of a prior art spring-loaded hinge assembly that addresses this need is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,715,644 and 4,796,944, both of which are owned by the same assignee as that of the present invention, and both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Although the hinge assemblies illustrated and described in these two United States patents have performed well and have been successful in addressing the disadvantages and problems discussed above, the present invention seeks to provide an even further improvement over these hinge assemblies.
According to the present invention, a spring-loaded, dual-action hinge assembly is provided for interconnecting first and second relatively rotatable or pivotal members in a hinged relationship with respect to one another, with the hinge assembly according to the present invention being particularly well-suited for interconnecting a vehicle accessory door with a vehicle accessory housing structure, wherein the accessory housing structure is adapted for attachment to a vehicle interior member. Such a hinge assembly includes a pivot arrangement for pivotally interconnecting the first and second members for relative rotational movement about a generally longitudinally-extending axis. A first cam member protrudes in a generally lateral direction from one of either the first or second members, with the first cam member having at least one dwell portion thereon. A corresponding first resilient biasing arrangement on the other of either the first or second members is resiliently deflectably engageable by the first cam member for exerting a first resilient biasing force on the first cam member. Such first resilient biasing arrangement tends to releasably maintain the first and second members in a first predetermined relative rotational orientation when engaged by the first dwell portion of the first cam member.
Similarly, a second cam member is provided and protrudes in a generally lateral direction from said one of the first or second members, with the second cam member having a second dwell portion thereon. A corresponding second resilient biasing arrangement is provided on the other of the first or second members, with the second resilient biasing arrangement being resiliently deflectably engageable by the second cam member for exerting a second resilient biasing force on the second cam member. Such second resilient biasing arrangement tends to releasably maintain the first and second members in a second predetermined relative rotational orientation when engaged by the second dwell portion of the second cam member.
Preferably, the above-mentioned first and second cam members are separate and distinct from one another, and similarly the above-mentioned first and second resilient biasing arrangements are separate and distinct from one another, but are preferably interconnected with a common base that is secured to the above-mentioned other of either the first or second members. The above-mentioned first and second cam members can be generally solid, one-piece cam portions, or each of the first and second cam members be formed in a split or parallel, multiple cam configuration such as that shown for purposes of illustration in the accompanying drawings and discussed in more detail below. Such split or parallel cam configuration can facilitate the forming of the cam members, especially in instances where the first and second pivotally interconnected members are injection molded. In such an instance, the split, parallel configuration of each of the first and second cam members can greatly reduce the material sinking or sagging in the areas of the injection-molded parts adjacent the cam members.
In any of the variations of the present invention, however, the provision of at least two separate and distinct cam members or split cam member groups, with their respective corresponding separate and distinct resilient biasing members, allows a dual-acting function to be obtained. Such dual-acting function allows the opportunity for providing different efforts for moving the first and second members out of either of their detented positions, which can be especially advantageous where one of the detented positions is a so-called "open" position and a relatively heavy door or cover must be releasably maintained in such open position.
These and other features of the present invention are described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.